What to Look For in a VPN (3 Key Features)

Only the best VPN services will provide all 3 features, and you must not settle for anything less.

Speed– When you are connecting to a VPN client, it doesn’t matter for what purpose, your browsing speed must be at least as fast as it is without a VPN.

Most VPN will slow down your system, some more than others. however, in some cases not only will your speed not be affected, but you can manipulate your VPN connection to actually give you a faster internet connection.

I use this tool to test my connection speed before and after connecting to a VPN.

The number of Countries and Servers – Always remember that more is better! Yes, the more countries you can log into and the more servers your VPN supports, the better your experience would be.

Having a big amount of countries and servers to choose from, will give you access to content that is currently not available to you.

In addition, you will enjoy better data transmissions – which means faster upload/download and a better internet experience.

Easy Setup & Usage – Installing a VPN should not take more than a couple of minutes. You would be surprised how long it can take with some of the VPN’s out there.

What really separates between ordinary VPN’s and the best VPN services is how user-friendly their interface is.

Establishing a fast and secure VPN connection should be a simple task.

Additional VPN Features

Now, which features you would want to keep an eye for depends on what you are looking for in a VPN.

No logs Policy – Make sure the VPN service you chose doesn’t keep any browsing logs of your activity. Normally, those who don’t save your logs will say so up-front; those who do will usually hide it deep in their T&C’s.

Additional Protections – Any of the best VPN services out there will support an AES-256 bit encryption. This is the highest degree of data encryption, which will keep your data and browsing safe. Some VPN’s will also provide automatic Wi-Fi Protection and an internet kill-switch.

I found that the best VPN services for online privacy & security are ExpressVPN and NordVPN.

Available Streaming Platforms – If you are a Netflix fan, or like to keep up with the content at BBC iPlayer, you should find a VPN which supports those services. Not all VPN’s are able to override the restrictions posed by the streaming platforms. If you’re looking for a VPN for sports streaming, you would need a strong and fast VPN that can deliver the full HD sports experience with no lags.

Multiple Connections – With most VPN’s you can find plans with anywhere between 3-5 multiple connections. You can have the same VPN on your PC, mobile phone, and Smart TV so you’ll never miss a moment of your favorite show.

Best Pricing and Customer Support VPN’s

Cheap VPN – If you are looking for a cheap VPN solution, there are some options for you out there. Just bear in mind that some features may not be available. Most VPN’s will offer a 30-day money back guarantee, or a free trial. I would personally go for a more comprehensive solution than a cheap one. In most cases you can get your money back, no questions asked. There also free VPNs, but those usually come with a limited amount of features and privacy protocols.

Customer Support – When you want to get that refund or have a general question, you want someone to hear you, the sooner the better. This is where many VPN’s fail to deliver and others succeed tremendously. You never know when you’ll need a customer support service and it’s always good to know that it can be available 24/7 via chat or email.

The cheapest VPNs I found were NordVPN and CyberGhost both also provide good customer service.

Best VPN’s of 2019

If you want to see a more detailed analysis of how I ranked each VPN service, the VPN reviews below will hopefully provide a clearer picture.

Coming in at number one is ExpressVPN. This VPN service checks on almost any feature.

Starting with the crucial stuff, ExpressVPN is one of the fastest VPN I’ve tested. Not only my connection was smooth, I was able to beat my connection speed when I wasn’t connected to a VPN through smart IP re-routing.

This was made possible because they offer very fast servers – over 2000 servers, in 94 countries.

Some more perks that come with ExpressVPN are AES-256 bit encryption; which is top-notch security, in addition to their no-logs policy and kill-switch your VPN connection is 100% private and secure.

They are one of the few VPN’s that support Netflix. Using ExpressVPN you can access the full 100% Netflix libraries and streaming speeds and quality are not being compromised. This feature adds lots of points in my opinion.

In addition, and most surprising of all, their customer support was outstanding! I tested them on email, and chat on various occasions.

To my emails, it took them about 8-10 hours to reply, and it really felt like a good service and not just generic email templates sent to cover frequent questions. Their emails were personal, informative and very professional.

The online chat representative answered within moments after my inquiry. Again, the service was very good and efficient.

In terms of pricing, they tend to be on the more expansive edge. Although they have a very good promotion of 3 extra months for free, which comes in addition to their 30-day money back guarantee, their pricing plans are:

Bottom Line

So, in order to find the best VPN for your needs, you should start by looking for 3 main features.

Speed

Number of Countries and Servers available

Simple and easy interface

These features should be the minimum threshold. Any VPN service that doesn’t deliver on one of these is not worth your time and money.

Next, you would want to look for specific features that go hand in hand with your needs. At many times, people would want advanced privacy features as well as a VPN that support streaming platforms, and all at the cheapest price possible.

One of the best VPN services that really delivers on almost all criteria is Cyberghost.